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Deis
Deis, the religion of the High, Wood, and Dark Elves. Its roots are unknown, but it has undoubtedly changed over the years to fit the different Elven cultures. Each sub-race worships a different god primarily, but all gods are worshipped by all of them. All other aspects of the religion are identical. Deis is a polytheistic faith. Four gods make it up: Tenebrisia, God of Darkness, Luxia, Goddess of Light, Mavur, God of the Galaxy, and Haltar, Goddess of Life. Tenebrisia Tenebrisia is the god of darkness and Eclipse magic. He’s the patron god of the Dark Elves. The Dark Elves view him as a stern, strict, yet fair god, in comparison to the other races who believe him to be harsh and chaotic, worshipping him least. He’s also believed to be one of the oldest gods. Homage is paid to him by leaving something of value, sentimental or monetary, in a place of darkness (e.g. the ocean, a cave). Luxia Luxia is the goddess of light and Celestial magic. The High Elves have her as their patron god. She’s viewed as kind, reasonable, and cheerful. The Wood Elves share a similar philosophy, despite their worship of Haltar. The Dark Elves, however, believe Luxia to be naive and foolish. Sacrifices are made to her simply by burning something of value. Haltar Haltar is the goddess of life and nature.The Wood Elves pay homage to her in honor of her creation of life. Both High Elves and Dark Elves share the gratefulness, and respect Haltar, worshipping her often. She is thought of as cheerful and fair, yet infinitely wise. She’s the daughter of Luxia and Tenebrisia. Burying objects of value into the life-filled earth honors her. Mavur Mavur is the god of stars and the afterlife. All Elves revere him equally, believing Mavur to be stern and stoical, but also fair and the wisest of the gods. He’s the son of Luxia and Tenebrisia. He is said to control the transporting of souls to Darais, due to his power over the afterlife. Creation of Life and the Universe In the beginning, the universe was divided in two regions of equal proportions: Tenebrisia’s Darkness, and Luxia’s Light. Tenebrisia’s realm was complete and utter blackness, whereas Luxia’s was blinding whiteness. Both gods fought to gain an upperhand on the other, and possess full control of the universe. But they were equals, and would stalemate for eternity. Realizing that fighting was futile, both gods agreed to a compromise: the two realms would be mixed into one realm of darkness, illuminated by light. However, though they had full control over their respective elements, neither Luxia nor Tenebrisia had the power to mix each other’s essence. So they gave birth to Mavur, who combined light and darkness. For awhile, the three gods were content, blissful. But soon they grew lonely. Why should only three of them have such a vast territory to themselves? So, Luxia and Tenebrisia had another child: Haltar. The four gods created a vast plane, a world, within their own. Haltar filled the world with abundant life, Luxia created the great sun to keep the people warm, Tenebrisia filled the deep, dark oceans and cracks in the earth, and Mavur took his place in the sky, far above the beautiful world. When one of Haltar’s creations, died, its spirit would come to his realm, and he would add it to the night sky. Even now, Luxia keeps the sun glowing, burning. Tenebrisia squabbles with her, hiding it from sight constantly. Haltar keeps the world full of green life, and Mavur stares down at the world, content. Granting of Celestial and Eclipse Magic Millennia after the creation of Darais, civilization was practically utopian. Crime was rare, disease was nonexistent, and there was a surplus of food and supplies. Luxia decided she wanted to reward the people of Darais for this. She blessed the Elves with some of her own power - Celestial magic. They were grateful, and many became exceptional in wielding this new and strange power. However, some were discontent. They declined the gift, believing it to be frivolous and, simply, excessive, against everything the other gods stood for. Luxia had granted a power only she, a god, possessed, after all! They left, into the wilderness. But they did not do well. Frigid winters, scarce food, and hostile wildlife made their journey treacherous. If not for Tenebrisia, they would’ve perished. He took pity on them, risking their lives in order to abide by their faith, and lead them to a great construct of his. There, he bestowed them with some of his own power - Eclipse magic. He told them that without it they would perish. They accepted, and departed from the sacred place, constructing their own society. After the exodus of the followers of Eclipse magic, and Mavur’s bringing of the Wood Elves, society was less perfect for the High Elves. Festivals and Holidays Despite some dislike of certain gods by certain races of Elves, all the gods are revered - just not equally. Sacrifices are made more to a patron god than a non-patron god. But, in the case of holidays, all the gods are given their own holy time. * Solstibris - A holiday set on the first day of winter. It honors Tenebrisia and gives him thanks for creating the oceans and filling the cracks and crevices of the earth. The Dark Elves also give thanks for the gift of Eclipse magic. On this day, a festival is to be held, where each person offers a sacrifice to Tenebrisia. The Dark Elves, when they held this event, also honored the greatest users of Eclipse magic. * Solstia - A holiday set on the first day of summer. It honors Luxia and gives her thanks for creating the sun and fire. High Elves also give thanks for the gift of Celestial magic. A festival is held, where all people sacrifice something of value to Luxia. The High Elves also make a note of displaying the magic of the best Celestial users in a show of sorts. * Solstar - A holiday set on the first day of spring. It honors Haltar and gives her thanks for creating life. All Elves celebrate this holiday equally, however, on this day the Wood Elves not only make many sacrifices to Haltar, but each family of Elves is to plant a tree somewhere in honor of Haltar. It is also considered lucky to conceive or give birth to a child on this day. * Solvur - A holiday set on the first day of fall. It honors Mavur and gives him thanks for creating the stars and the afterlife. Each elf makes a sacrifice to Mavur, and, if applicable, speaks in praise and memory of a deceased loved one. A note: Dark Elves no longer celebrate any of the aforementioned holidays in such an extravagant fashion. Instead, on these days, they attempt to make a small sacrifice to their patron god, and only do so on these days, with the exception of Dark Elves who happen to be near the coast.